Semi-finished steel exports made up 5.36 million tons of the total figure, growing 89% YOY.
Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports, standing at an aggregate of 2.95 million tons to mark a 65% growth YOY. Slab shipments followed with 2.41 million tons, surging 130% YOY.
Exports of finished steel products during the 10-month period shrank by 25% YOY to 1.18 million tons, according to Financial Tribune.
Thicker than 3-mm hot-rolled coil was the main finished steel export that reached 434,000 tons, showing a decline of 57% YOY. The export of less than 3-mm thick HRC shipments surged 55,900 YOY to 56,000 tons.
Following HRC were rebar with 428,000 tons, up 100% YOY; beams with 141,000 tons, down 14% YOY; “other steel products” with 65,000 tons, up 103% YOY; coated coil with 51,000 tons, growing 104% YOY and cold-rolled coil with 10,000 tons, down 93% YOY.
Exports of direct-reduced iron surged 336% YOY to 567,000 tons.
Deputy Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mehdi Karbasian expects DRI exports to reach 1 million tons by the fiscal yearend (March 20) as a result of new capacities established this year.
Based on goals set in the 20-Year Vision Plan, Iran aims to export 8 million tons of steel by the end of this year, 9.5 million tons in the fiscal 2018-19 and 14 million tons in the fiscal 2020-21.
The industry also plans to increase its crude steelmaking capacity to 55 million tons by 2025 to become the world’s sixth largest steelmaker. According to Industries, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari, about 30 million tons of the target capacity have been realized so far.
The ISPA report also shows the import of most steel products declined during the period under review. Semis' imports shrank 76% YOY to 44,000 tons. Billet and bloom imports dropped 88% YOY to 22,000 tons, though slab imports surged 1,000% YOY to 22,000 tons.
Imports of finished steel dropped 24% YOY to reach 1.86 million tons. The imports mostly included less than 3-mm thick HRC with 583,000 tons, down 47% YOY, followed by cold-rolled coil with 582,000 tons, up 11% YOY; coated coil with 341,000 tons, up 18% YOY; thicker than 3-mm HRC with 191,000 tons, down 37% YOY; rebar with 68,000 tons, down 36% YOY; beam with 29,000 tons, down 22% YOY and “other steel products” with 68,000 tons, down 31% YOY.
Iranian steelmakers produced 34.7 million tons of steel during the 10-month period, up 14.3% YOY. Semi-finished steel made up 18.36 million tons of the total output, up 19% YOY, and finished steel output grew 9% YOY to reach 16.39 million tons.
Billet and bloom output stood at 9.9 million tons while that of slab reached 8.46 million tons, recording a 23% and 15% YOY growth respectively.
Hot-rolled coil had the lion’s share of finished steel production with 6.41 million tons, up 10% YOY; followed by rebar with 5.16 million tons, down 7% YOY; cold-rolled coil with 1.95 million tons, up 26% YOY; coated coil with 1.25 million tons, up 42% YOY; beams with 905,000 tons, up 5% YOY; and “other steel products” with 703,000 tons, up 123% YOY.
Iran’s direct-reduced iron production during the period stood at 18.54 million tons, indicating a 23% rise YOY.